A holiday in Nepal is an exhilarating adventure on the roof of the world. With eight of the world’s ten highest mountains, Nepal is a spectacular country of unsurpassed landscapes and some of the most challenging and rewarding hiking trails on the planet. A remote land of breathtaking scenery and warm, gentle people, Nepal’s charm lies in its spiritual religious mysticism and multiple ethnicity.
It’s hard to top Nepal for adventure travel and eco-tourism. It’s a Mecca for trekkers with hundreds of trails criss-crossing the country, especially in the Middle Hills area. Hikers can choose from a multitude of escorted or self-guided treks and, unless hiking to Everest base camp, can generally get by without specialised mountaineering gear. A sturdy pair of boots and a few layers of clothing are all you’ll need to hit the high trails. You can also get your feet wet with white-water rafting, mountaineering, mountain-biking and even jungle safaris on elephant back in the subtropical lowland forests. National parks throughout Nepal provide opportunities to encounter tigers, snow leopards, brown bears and dozens of other thrilling species.
Hinduism and Buddhism are fundamentals of the Nepalese and have a profound influence on all aspects of life; mixing tradition and faith with a festival culture. This spirituality gives rise to more than a fair share of fascinating temples to explore, and a calendar of festivals and celebrations the envy of many other nations. Spiritual art is everywhere to be seen and religious buildings are rich repositories of ancient artefacts.
City living isn’t a great part of the Nepalese way of life. The capital, Kathmandu, is Nepal’s largest and most cosmopolitan, but a relatively small city compared to most national capitals. Curiously, as tourist-central, it’s home to casinos, pubs and clubs sitting incongruously beside ancient temples and stupas. Dating back to beyond 600BC, the lowland city of Lumbini is regarded as Buddha’s birthplace and has one of Nepal’s ten UNESCO world heritage listings. For adventure and spectacular views, try a visit to Pokhara, known as the City of Lakes.
Nepal fun facts
The Himalayas formed 70 million years ago following a collision between India and Asia via the Indo Australian and Eurasian plates
Of the fifteen highest mountain peaks in the World, nine are within the Nepal Himalayas
The flag of Nepal is the only national flag which is not rectangular
China Delight
Thursday 18th March 2010
Travel Counsellor: Rosemary Metcalf
China had never been a destination high on my “TO DO” list, so when the opportunity was offered to participate on an educational with China Bestours, I thought, why not!
Our early morning arrival at Beijing Airport was perfect as it avoided the crowds and gave us the chance to appreciate the enormity of the building and gave us a quick process through immigration. Before we knew it we were with our guide and on our bus.
The drive to our hotel was interesting as autumn still had traces of recent snowfalls with overcast and grey skies; I am not painting a great start to this new adventure! Within a few hours of arriving in China, the smiling faces and the fascination of the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square soon had me over my gloomy start. These places were amazing as we listened tentatively to our knowledgeable guide. At this stage, I wished that I had listened more at school when we studied the Dynasties of China! To have a basic understanding of the history would be a bonus!... view full story
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